Wedding DVD disaster

2:09pm Monday 24th September 2007

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Staff at a register office have let down a second couple by losing their wedding DVD.

Carl and Ruth Carter-Hale were looking forward to receiving a DVD copy of their civil wedding ceremony at Brighton Town Hall to show to relatives who missed the service.

They were horrified when they found out their copy, recorded by Town Hall staff, had been lost in the post and the original had been wiped.

The couple contacted The Argus after they read about Shaun and Anzhela Stewart, from Bexhill, who were sent the DVD of another couple's wedding.

They only discovered the blunder while visiting relatives in the Ukraine. By the time they returned to complain the original footage had been wiped.

Mrs Carter-Hale, 27, of Westfield Crescent, Hollingbury, Brighton, said: "We were shocked to know it had happened to other couples too. It's horrifying really."

The couple married on July 28 before spending their honeymoon on the Isle of Wight.

Mr Carter-Hale, 35, who is off work on long-term sick leave, said: "Because we didn't know how long the process would take we weren't surprised it hadn't arrived when we got back off our honeymoon.

"We didn't want to appear pushy so we thought we would let them get on with it for a while.

"We left it a couple of weeks and when we called back we found out it had been sent out first class in the post on July 30. But we hadn't received it.

"We asked if they could make another copy but they said the person responsible was on holiday and said they would get back to us."

At the end of August the couple spoke to the Town Hall's wedding DVD co-ordinator. She had not received the message and had wiped the film off the system.

Unlike the Stewarts, who had no wedding mementoes, the Carter-Hales made sure they had photographs of their special day.

But because Mrs Carter-Hale has limited short-term memory as a result of a brain tumour she suffered as a teenager, she cannot remember much of the ceremony.

She said: "We've got photos but it doesn't put anything in context. I can't remember the ceremony or the vows. It's just a blur.

"But that was not why we wanted the DVD. We had a lot of family who couldn't make it to the service because of illness who were relying on seeing the film.

"I think it's pretty awful. I'm angry the message that our DVD was missing wasn't passed on.

"I'm astonished they send the films out and they don't consider people are on their honeymoons. You should be able to collect them.

"I would like to see them change their policy so they check with couples before they delete copies. People should also have an option how they receive their film. They could collect it in person or get it posted after a certain date.

"I just don't want this to happen to anyone else."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "We apologise that Mr and Mrs Carter-Hale did not receive their DVD copy.

"Our advice is that if couples do not receive their DVDs within two weeks or if something is wrong with it, to contact us for another copy and we will be happy to provide one.

"Currently we are unable to keep the DVDs on file for more than a month, but as this service is becoming increasingly popular we are looking into extending the computer memory so that the register office can keep DVDs on our records for longer."

Has your wedding DVD been lost? Or have you had a wedding day disaster? Tell us below.